Improved gate-fastening



UNITED STATES PATEMJMJgQE/ETCE.

JAMES BULL, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

IM PROVED GATE-FASTENING.

Specification torming part of Letters Patent No. 71,694.' dated December 3, 18671 To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES BULL, of Galesburg, in the county of Knox, and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Gate-Fastenin gs; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

In the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, A represents a gate, and B B the two posts, which maybe constructed in any of the known and usual ways.

To form the upper hinge, I take a rod, with an eye formed in one end, and a screw-thread upon the other, and pass its threaded end through the bar at the back of the gate, and secure it by means of a nut. The eye ot' the rod is passed over a staple, F, which is driven into the gate-post, and is sustained upon said staple.

I represents a plate of metal, which forms a portion of the lower hinge. One end of this pla-te may be made pointed or round and driven into the post, while the outer end, at a suitable distance from the post, is turned up at right angles, and has formed upon its up- I per end two lugs, J J, which project out beyond its sides a little.

G represents a rod, Which is secured in the back bar of the gate, and which is provided with two fingers, H H, being formed very similarly to a two-fingered fork, with the ends of the Atin gers turning in toward each other. These fingers H H embrace the plate I, catching under the lugs J J upon its upper end.

-When the gate is swung around nearly at right angles to its shut position, the lingers H H cease to catch under the lugs, and it may then be easily raised oft its hinges.

C represents a metallic plate, which is secured to the gate-post B. This plate has three projections cast or formed upon its outer face, one, L, at its top, and one, o o, at each side.

D represents the gate-catch, which is formed in the manner seen in Figs. 2 and 4, consist ing of ametallic bar, beveled off to an edge at each end, and provided at its center and up per side with a dovetailed groove, as seen from x to x. This catch is connected to the plate C by means of a pivot-screw, a, so that it will balance upon said pivot. The upper edge of this catch is convex from the edgesof the groove to its ends, as seen, and the lower edge of the projection L is made 'concave on each side ot' its center, to correspond with the convexity of the edge of the catch.

S represents a bar of metal, which acts as a stay or stop or latch for the gate, and which is secured in the front gate-bar opposite the plate C. This stay or latch is formed so as to catch into the dovetailed groove in the catch D.

This gate opens in either direction, either to the right or left. In opening the gate from the operator, the end of the catch next to the operator is thrown up, which allows the latch to pass out of the groove in said catch and swing upon its hinges. The catch remains in the position in which the latch leaves it until the gate is shut again, when the said latch strikes it, falling into its groove and forcing it into a horizontal position. -The end of the catch is borne down when the operator wishes to open lthe gate toward himself.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The catch D, constructed in the manner herein represented,being beveled off to an edge at each end, provided with adovetailed groovev at the center of its upper side, and balanced so as to vibrate upon its pivot a, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The stop or latch S, so formed as to act in connection with the catch D, when con structed in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of March, 1867.

JAMES BULL.

Witnesses:

C. M. ALEXANDER, J. M. MASON. 

